This invention relates to an extruded elastomeric or plastic trim molding which extends around the peripheral edge portion of a glass window panel as used in a motor vehicle, and of the general type disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,338,087, 6,279,983, 6,382,696 and 7,188,885 which issued to the assignee of the present invention. Sometimes, such moldings are placed in fixtures, for example, as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,603,546, so that the window panel may be lowered onto the molding while the fixture holds the molding according to the peripheral contour of the window panel. This form of attachment is commonly used by original equipment manufacturers of window panel assemblies which are delivered to motor vehicle assembly plants.
It is also sometimes desirable to attach the trim molding to the window panel in the field where a fixture is not available, for example, in the motor vehicle aftermarket. For this type of installation of a trim molding onto a window panel, a trim molding as disclosed in above-mentioned U.S. Pat. No. 7,188,885 is highly desirable in that a tear-off locating flange precisely locates the trim molding on the peripheral edge portion of the window panel, after which the locating flange is removed. In both types of assembly, with or without a fixture, it is desirable to use a pressure sensitive contact adhesive to attach the trim molding to the window panel in order to minimize the time required to complete the assembly of the trim molding onto the window panel. However, the contact adhesive requires that the trim molding be precisely located with respect to the window panel before the adhesive contacts the window panel.
It has also been found desirable to construct an elastomeric trim molding so that it may be quickly and efficiently attached to a window panel having corner portions with relatively small radii, for example, radii under two inches, and without significantly distorting the profile of the molding after it is attached. One method for producing a trim molding onto a glass window panel with rounded corners is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,316,829. In this patent, the trim molding is progressively extruded onto the peripheral edge portion of the window panel. However, this method requires complex extruding apparatus and substantial time to attach a trim molding.